A relentless rise in southern European countries' borrowing costs and the hefty premium they pay over Germany overshadowed an unusual development this week - German yields rose as the euro zone crisis sucked in France and the Netherlands, rather than falling as they did when Italy fell victim. The yield premium that investors demand to hold 10-year US or UK bonds rather than German debt has shrunk sharply in the past few days as a result, highlighting investors' preference at this point for debt issued by these large non-euro zone countries.

Moreover, while the cost of insuring against an Italian or French default has risen markedly in the past week, the biggest daily percentage rise in the cost of such insurance on Thursday was actually in Germany rather than France or Italy. "Germany is still the best of a bad job in the euro zone and out of all the members, it still represents the most credible safe haven, but Germany is not immune to this crisis," said Simon Derrick at Bank of New York Mellon in London.

In fact, data on how the bank's clients are moving their money around euro zone bond markets shows the most dramatic shift in investor behavior is related to Germany. "We are seeing that demand has dissipated for German paper with maturities of one year or more," Derrick said.

Despite lacking significant nutritional content, this thin coating would be enough for pizza to go towards a daily count of fruit and vegetables. The move has been derided as a cost-cutting drive so the US government will not have to spend so much on fresh food for school lunches. Subsidised school meals must include a certain amount of vegetables.

A congressional committee is pushing for the move and to keep french fries on school lunch lines in a fightback against an Obama administration proposal to make school lunches healthier. The final version of a spending bill released late Monday would unravel school lunch standards the Agriculture Department proposed earlier this year which limits the use of potatoes and delays limits on sodium and a requirement to boost whole grains. The bill also would allow tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable.

Food companies that produce frozen pizzas for schools, the salt industry and potato growers requested the changes, and some conservatives in Congress say the federal government shouldn't be telling children what to eat. Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee said the changes would 'prevent overly burdensome and costly regulations and to provide greater flexibility for local school districts to improve the nutritional quality of meals.'

School districts had said some of the USDA requirements went too far and cost too much when budgets are extremely tight. Schools have long taken broad instructions from the government on what they can serve in federally subsidized meals that are served free or at reduced price to low-income children. But some schools have balked at government attempts to tell them exactly what foods they can't serve.

That was certainly the message I got from John Cridland, directior general of the CBI, yesterday. "I think the least likely outcome is paralysis," he said. "I don't think the eurozone crisis can rumble on forever. Europe's politicians are edging towards a statisfactory resolution." The CBI's bleak UK growth forecasts, he said, are based on the assumption there is a solution of sorts by the Spring. Cridland is not alone. IMF head Christine Lagarde has repeatedly said "there is a path to recovery" albeit "narrower than three years ago", George Osborne this week claimed "the eurozone has the financial capacity to restore stability", US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has argued "when France and Germany agree on a plan together and decide to act, big things are possible". All clearly believe there is a way out.

But there is a third scenario. That the current stalemate persists throughout the year and deep into 2013, when the permanent European rescue mechanism is finally launched (that's the ESM for lovers of acronyms). Stalemate would mean permanently elevated bond yields across the eurozone, with the sole exception of Germany. It would mean very weak growth across Europe, if any at all. It would mean markets in a constant state of anxiety, pitching back and forth on the whims of confidence. If recent history has anything to teach us, it's that the third scenario is the most likely - and Europe will revert to "kicking the can down the road".

The implication is clear - until there is an answer to the core problems of competitiveness within the euro, the markets will not settle and the crisis will rumble on. Even if a "sticking plaster" bail-out is agreed. And just how likely is Europe to come up with that "sticking plaster"? Sir Mervyn is not hopeful. "The whole issue is - do they wish to make transfers within the euro area or not?" he said. So far, the answer - from the only nation that can really do it, Germany - has been an emphatic 'no'.

For Britain, it's not a pretty picture. The CBI's downgraded forecasts - based on a euro resolution - are for growth next year of 1.2 per cent and 2.2 per cent in 2013. If Europe now drifts into a year or more of stalemate, UK banks will be unable to fund affordably and the economy will be starved of credit. Export growth will slump. The UK will be dragged even further down. There really is little to be hopeful about.

The historic meeting gave Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai a chance to note with Russian Patriarch Kirill the need for a united effort in assisting Christians in the Holy Land. "We feel today a great need to collaborate with Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant Churches," the Maronite patriarch affirmed. "We would like to propose to Your Holiness the possibilities of collaboration with the Russian Church in order to safeguard the Christian presence in the countries of the Middle East, and to preserve those Christians from emigrating."

"Their presence must remain effective in their societies, as it was all along the history of this presence, since the time of Christ, the apostles and the first Christians, as 'the leaven in the dough.'" For his part, Patriarch Kirill noted the difficult theological issues facing Orthodox-Catholic dialogue, and affirmed his conviction that dialogue is not the only channel for cooperation. Patriarch Kirill believes that common work for the sake of upholding Christian values in the modern world is equally important, a statement from the patriarchate noted.

Cabinet ministers were ordered earlier this week to lobby their European counterparts to support the historic change in the court's remit and a deal is now expected to be agreed at a conference in London next April. Mr Clarke said: "What we are trying to do is get the role of the court sorted out so that it deals with serious human rights issues of the kind that require an international court."

"We want the court back to its proper business as an international court which takes up serious issues of principle when a member state or its courts, or its parliament, are arguably in serious breach of the [European Human Rights] convention." Reform will end the situation were "everybody who's just lost his arguments about deportation should be able to go there and get in the queue, wait a few years to get it all reheard again when he's lost the argument three times already" in the UK.

It has long been a cherished Conservative project to reclaim human rights powers from the Strasbourg court but Mr Clarke previously thought it to be "fanciful". However, he and William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, now believe that reform is imminent and the Cabinet were briefed on the breakthrough last Tuesday. Britain currently holds the chairmanship of the Council of Europe, which oversees the ECHR, and ministers have seized the initiative to reform the court.

Mr Clarke said it was a "nuisance" that people facing deportation from Britain frequently appeal UK court rulings to Strasbourg, allowing them to remain in the country for years while they wait for a European hearing. In September, the court ruled that a Nigerian convicted of rape could not be expelled from the UK because removal would breach his right to a family life. Senior British judges including Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice, have said that the European court should have less influence on Britain. David Cameron has described human rights laws, and edicts from the ECHR, as having a "corrosive influence" on British life.

Also on Friday, a Syrian official said Damascus has agreed "in principle" to allow an Arab League observer mission into the country. But the official said Friday that Syria was still studying the details. The official asked not to be named because the issue is so sensitive. The Arab League suspended Syria earlier this week over its deadly crackdown on an eight-month-old uprising. The 22-member body has proposed sending hundreds of observers to the country to try to help end the bloodshed.

The report came a day after a draft resolution backed by Arab and European countries and the United States was submitted to the United Nations General Assembly, seeking to condemn human rights violations in the on-going violence in Syria. Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia were among Arab states that joined Germany, Britain, and France to sponsor the draft submitted to the assembly's human rights committee. In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the US would sign on as a co-sponsor of the resolution.

The draft demanded an end to violence, respect of human rights and implementation by Damascus of a plan of action of the Arab League. The move comes as clashes escalated in Syria and after Russia and China used their veto in October to block a Security Council resolution that would have condemned the Syrian government of President Bashir for the violence.

"I think there could be a civil war with a very determined and well-armed and eventually well-financed opposition that is, if not directed by, certainly influenced by defectors from the army," Clinton told NBC news in an interview in Indonesia, where she was attending a regional summit. "We're already seeing that, something that we hate to see because we are in favor of a peaceful protest and a nonviolent opposition," she said.

Clinton said, however, that she saw no prospect for the kind of coordinated international intervention that occurred in Libya, where a NATO-led coalition won a UN mandate to mount air strikes in support of rebels fighting Muammar Gaddafi. "There is no appetite for that kind of action vis-a-vis Syria," Clinton said, pointing to regional moves by the Arab League and Turkey as key to persuading Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to halt the violence against civilians.

Most rallies in Tahrir have been led by liberal or left leaning groups. But Friday's rally was dominated by the country's most organized political group, the Muslim Brotherhood, which has rarely come out in full force since the protests that forced President Hosni Mubarak to step down in February.

The Brotherhood had until recently avoided confrontation with the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, but now warns of escalating its protest campaign if plans to give permanent political powers to the military are not scrapped. "The army has no role in ruling people. Its only job is to protect the country. We want civilian rule chosen through democracy," said Hani Hegazi, a 28-year old Brotherhood member who traveled by bus to Tahrir from the Delta province of el-Beheira, according to The Associated Press.

Banners read: "Down with military rule. Egypt our country is not a military camp." Some demonstrators flew the Egyptian flag, while others including ultraconservative Salafis waved a banner declaring Islam's holy book, the Quran, to be "our constitution."

Britain will soon be forced to scrap the pound and join the euro, one of Germany's most senior figures said yesterday. His sinister warning followed the emergence of a secret German plan to build a powerful new economic government for the eurozone and block an EU referendum in Britain.

A leaked German foreign ministry memo detailed plans for a new European Monetary Fund. It also claimed the EU's treaty could be altered to centralise more power without triggering a vote. In a further sign of growing German supremacy within the EU, David Cameron was yesterday rebuffed by Chancellor Angela Merkel in talks over how to tackle the euro crisis.

Last night British opponents of the EU were horrified by the bellicose threat to Britain's economic independence. Tory MP Peter Bone said: "I would be happy to have a bet with the German finance minister that the euro will disappear before the pound. It is a completely absurd suggestion that will never happen." Fellow Tory backbencher Douglas Carswell said: "It is a tragedy that a continent of millions of hard-working people is run by clowns like this." And UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said: "This German bullying is deeply unpleasant and the sooner we leave the EU the better."

In his astonishing outburst yesterday, he insisted he "respected" Britain's decision to remain outside the euro. But he claimed that the UK would ultimately not be able to resist the tide of history. His warning came amid a furious outpouring of anti-British sentiment in Berlin. Top-selling newspaper Bild asked: "What is England still doing in the EU?" while another paper branded Britain "the sick empire". Dr Schauble's remarks came before the frosty meeting between Mr Cameron and Mrs Merkel in Berlin yesterday.

Voodoo has none of the negative connotations it has in the West and many of those who are officially Christian or Muslim also incorporate some Voodoo elements into their beliefs, especially in times of crisis. But Voodoo is more than a belief system, it is a complete way of life, including culture, philosophy, language, art, dance, music and medicine.

Voodoo priests ask the gods to intervene on behalf of ordinary people but local adherents stress that they have nothing to do with sorcery or black magic. People here do not stick needles into dolls to cause misfortune to their enemies, as you see in some Western films.

The Pope's day begins in the capital, Cotonou, where he will meet Benin's head of state, Thomas Boni Yayi. He will also be greeted by other dignitaries, who are expected to include some leaders of traditional African religions. The Church's reconciliation plans are contained in a formal apostolic exhortation entitled The Pledge for Africa (Africae Munus in Latin), which the Pope will sign in Ouidah.

The document was drawn up two years ago at a meeting in Rome by Catholic bishops from all over Africa. It is intended to encourage reconciliation, peace and justice.

Pope Benedict is expected to call for elements of traditional cultures and religions to be recognised, if they are compatible with church teaching. However, he will warn people to reject magic and witchcraft, which the Church condemns for what it believes is their negative effect on families and society. On the first day of his visit the pontiff spoke of avoiding "exacerbated and useless nationalism or tribalism" which he said could fuel deadly inter-religious tensions.

One of the Voodoo leaders invited to meet the Pope, Dah Aligbonon, said he hoped the Pontiff would urge Roman Catholics to be more tolerant of Africa's traditional religions. "I invite the Pope to tell his followers to stop acts of provocation against the Voodoo culture," the Reuters news agency quoted him as saying. The cathedral in Ouidah was built on land which was originally a Voodoo "sacred bush" - where offerings are made to the gods. It now overlooks a temple where the snake-god is worshipped. Voodoo is widely practised in Benin, where it has none of the negative connotations often associated with it in Western countries.

Her extraordinary announcement came on the day that finance minister Wolfgang Schauble predicted that the UK will have to adopt the euro 'faster than people think', despite the ongoing crisis in the single currency. Germany's attempts to impose EU control on Britain, and the minister's astonishing outburst, will have increased the tensions between David Cameron and Mrs Merkel as they met in Berlin this morning.

The leaders have clashed over German plans for a new tax on bank transactions and treaty change to shore up eurozone finances.

But at a press conference this afternoon, the pair ignored their differences and insisted that Britain and Germany will work together in a spirit of 'strong friendship'. When asked whether the European Central Bank should start printing money to guarantee eurozone debts, Mr Cameron said officials should 'do what is necessary' to defend the euro.

But Mrs Merkel warned that Europe's resources were not infinite as she insisted: 'One should not pretend to be more powerful than one really is.' In a blow to British hopes of a referendum on repatriating powers from Brussels, she also said that any move towards closer economic union in the eurozone would take place through 'a limited treaty change, only for the members of the eurozone'.

HOW CAN SHE STOP US HAVING A REFERENDUM?

The Conservatives have long promised a referendum on repatriating powers from the EU, but have not yet delivered one. Angela Merkel's comments today make a referendum less likely, as her 'limited treaty change' will not have to be approved by countries outside the euro, including the UK. The Coalition's 'referendum lock' commits the Government to holding a public vote the next time Britain is supposed to sign up to a new treaty which would hand more power to Brussels. But if the eurozone countries try to solve the debt crisis by closer economic integration, the UK will have no say - even though this could have a massive impact on Britain.

The Prince's views will be welcomed by critics who say the wind turbines, which can be up to 300 feet tall, are noisy, spoil the countryside and drive up energy bills. But the Government is determined to increase the proportion of electricity produced by the turbines as part of its environmentally friendly energy policies. Energy Secretary Chris Huhne last month denounced opponents of the plans as 'curmudgeons and fault-finders' and praised the turbines as 'elegant' and 'beautiful'.

There are currently 3,421 turbines in Britain - 2,941 of them onshore. A further 4,500 are planned over the next few years. The Prince is said to have voiced his views in a private conversation with an executive for a leading wind farm company at a recent reception in London. According to today's Sunday Telegraph, he told Esbjorn Wilmar, managing director of Infinergy, a firm that builds and operates turbines, that they were over-reliant on subsidies.

The newspaper quoted Mr Wilmar as saying: 'He said they were absolutely useless, completely reliant on subsidies and an absolute disgrace. He said, "You don't believe in fairy tales, do you?" He said that they would never work as they need back-up capacity. I was surprised by his very frank views.' It was disclosed last year that electricity customers are paying an average of 90 pounds a year to subsidise wind farms and other forms of renewable energy as part of a Government scheme to meet carbon-reduction targets.

A US intelligence assessment this summer, described to The Daily Beast by current and former US intelligence officials, concluded that any Israeli attack on hardened nuclear sites in Iran would go far beyond airstrikes from F-15 and F-16 fighter planes and likely include electronic warfare against Iran's electric grid, Internet, cellphone network, and emergency frequencies for firemen and police officers.

For example, Israel has developed a weapon capable of mimicking a maintenance cellphone signal that commands a cell network to "sleep," effectively stopping transmissions, officials confirmed. The Israelis also have jammers capable of creating interference within Iran's emergency frequencies for first responders. In a 2007 attack on a suspected nuclear site at al-Kibar, the Syrian military got a taste of this warfare when Israeli planes "spoofed" the country's air-defense radars, at first making it appear that no jets were in the sky and then in an instant making the radar believe the sky was filled with hundreds of planes.

Israel also likely would exploit a vulnerability that US officials detected two years ago in Iran's big-city electric grids, which are not "air-gapped" - meaning they are connected to the Internet and therefore vulnerable to a Stuxnet-style cyberattack - officials say. Tony Decarbo, the executive officer for JWAC, declined to comment for this story. The likely delivery method for the electronic elements of this attack would be an unmanned aerial vehicle the size of a jumbo jet. An earlier version of the bird was called the Heron, the latest version is known as the Eitan. According to the Israeli press, the Eitan can fly for 20 straight hours and carry a payload of one ton. Another version of the drone, however, can fly up to 45 straight hours, according to US and Israeli officials.

US president has vowed to close the door on American military involvement in Iraq by year's end, but Riyadh is reportedly afraid Iran will use the American exit to take over the country. Since 2008, officials in the Iraqi interim government have complained to Washington that both Iran and Saudi Arabia were, respectively, funding the Shiite and Sunni insurgencies that have plagued the country since the US-led invasion that toppled late dictator Sadam Hussein.

Security experts say Baghdad's security forces are unprepared to confront the rival insurgencies that hold Iraq in their grip - and that Obama's dogged drive to fulfill his campaign promise may have disastrous consequences both for the region and US interests.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies have been locked in a strategic battle with Iran for hegemony over the Persian Gulf - and have accused Tehran of seeking to destabilize the region through its 'Shiite Diaspora.' Gulf Arab leaders have sought to exert pressure on Iran and its regional allies - most notably Syrian president Bashar al-Assad - by allying themselves with Western powers opposed to Tehran's aggressive posture. They have also joined western powers in targeting Iran's nuclear program, which they see as targeting them first and foremost - rather than Israel, who Iran has threatened repeatedly with destruction.